energy subject matter

Hi, I suggest to start conversation about wildly understood energy. This is now one of the most important subject, worldwide commented. I’m thinking here about the renewable sources, economic and technical issues of energy, your attitude to the nuclear power plants, shortage of fossil fuels, green issues, new technology , energy costs, to name but a few. To give rise to conversation, question – What are you doing to save energy ?
In anticipation I’m sorry for my English, I’m beginner so please forgive me and point at my mistakes.

I'm not an energy saving fanatic but I always try to remember to switch off all electrical devices when they're not in use. Anyway that's still like a drop in the bucket.

But this is import as well. This is worth to notice that, if everyone of as remembered to switch the light off ( or even more- exchange whole lighting at the homes on energy-saving light bulbs) we wouldn’t have to build nuclear power plant (despite I’m very pro nuclear) .

Energy-saving light bulbs? Did you know what cost of recycling they will produce as they comprise toxic materials such as mercury vapour to name but one? They must be still on as the more they are turned on and off, the shorter becomes their life and then buying them seems to be not profitable. On the other hand, if you keep them on all the time, to maximise their life, they end up using almost as much electricity as the traditional bulbs... And these are only a few of many drawbacks of using the energy-saving light bulbs.

People are fooled by catchy slogans like "use eco-friendly petrol - save the planet" but they are not told that to produce this petrol many "third world" countries clear millions of acres of their woods to make room for corn fields and using this petrol we end up as contributing to devastation of our planet.

In my opinion energy saving isn’t only economic issues. We must start looking forward and anticipate the problems with the energy sources (shortage of fossil fuels). We can also look on this from a different side. Our country start to have not enough power capability, so the every manner increasing efficiency seems to be useful. It is undisputed that there aren’t any energy sources as well as the energy saving appliances, which are free from the disadvantages. And with reference to the energy-saving light bulb, saving 80% of energy and multiple longer time of valid to compare with the traditional bulbs in my opinion is a quite good option. There are also another not common energy saving lights like a LED diode for example, very effective as well.

You are saving 80% of energy and when your bulb burn out the same energy or even more will be needed to recycle it.... Good calculation!

Let make some counts. We use the energy saving light bulb, power=20W (so it has lighting effect like the 100W traditional bulb) we’re saving 80W per hour. Time of live usually is 10years, assume we will switch it off frequently so it will be live 5years. One more simplification we will be using it 2h per day. We have 365 days * 5years * 80W * 2h = 292 kW. You really thing it takes so much power to recycling the one bulb? (we should add to this result power usage to producting the couple traditional bulbs ). So I’m not convinced of your right.

I'm sorry for mistake in unit, the energy 292kWh.

You night be right but just remember to fallow the instruction when you've dropped one:

"Vacate the room and ventilate it for at least 15 minutes. Do not use a vacuum cleaner, but clean up using rubber gloves and aim to avoid creating and inhaling airborne dust. Sweep up all particles and glass fragments and place in a plastic bag. Wipe the area with a damp cloth, then add that to the bag and seal it. Mercury is hazardous waste and the bag should not be disposed of in the bin. All local councils have an obligation to make arrangements for the disposal of hazardous household waste."

The same thing if you broke a thermometer. But how many bulbs did you dropped in your life?
Of course, mercury is hazardous, but nothing is perfect (we should try to be careful) .

>But how many bulbs did you dropped in your life?

Much too many. I worked at a bulb store... ;-)

Becouse of as we can see our discussion died, I propose a new trause. Do you want a nuclear power plant in your country?